Six countries have dominated men’s international ice hockey for more than 70 years, winning 90% of international competitions including the IIHF World Championships or the Olympics. There are four European countries: Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Finland, and of course, Canada and the USA.

Not a single game of the 2004-5 NHL season was played due to a labour dispute. The lockout meant no regular season or playoff games and “2004-05 Season Not Played” was engraved on the Cup. This was the first time since 1919 when the Spanish flu caused the playoffs to be cancelled.

The IIHF World Championship coincides with the end of the NHL season and so many of the top NHL players do not attend. There were also tensions for many years over the status of amateur and professional players causing Canada, among other countries, to not send a team. Up to 2018 Russia has won 5 golds and the Soviet Union 22, giving a total of 27. Canada has 26.

Scotty Bowman holds several records as coach. He has 1,244 wins well ahead of Joel Quenneville on 783. He also won 9 Stanley Cups, five with the Canadiens, including 4 consecutive wins from 1976-9. He followed that with one Cup with the Penguins in 1992 then 3 with the Red Wings in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

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